Calorimeter

Abstract

A calorimeter vessel includes a base for supporting a bomb thereon and a downwardly concavely opening container sealably engaging the base. The base includes a water supply system permitting a common water supply to supply water to three such vessels which include water level detecting sensors also permitting automatic filling of the vessels. In the preferred embodiment the vessel is filled in two stages providing rapid yet precise filling of each of the vessels. In one embodiment of the invention a microprocessor control circuit is employed for sampling temperature data within each of the vessels during an analysis to ascertain beginning and ending temperatures and for calculating the resultant heat of combustion of a sample. The microprocessor also is employed to automatically control the filling and emptying of the vessel and the firing of the sample containing calorimeter bomb.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A calorimeter vessel for receiving a sample holding calorimeter bomb comprising: base means defining a support for a calorimeter bomb including means for supplying water therethrough at a first flow rate;   a container having sidewalls and being substantially enclosed at one end and open at an opposite end, said open end of said container sealably engagable with said base means with said sidewalls circumscribing said water supply means;   means for moving said container with respect to said base means for opening and closing said vessel defined thereby; and   conduit means coupled to said container at an end remote from said open end to provide a second lower flow rate of water to said vessel.   
     
     
       2. The vessel as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is generally vertically oriented and defines a concavely opening chamber extending downwardly. 
     
     
       3. The vessel as defined in claim 2 and further including water level detection means associated with said container at first and second levels, and control means coupled to said water supply means, to said conduit means, and to said detection means for supplying water initially to said first level at a first rate and subsequently to said second level at said second flow rate. 
     
     
       4. The vessel as defined in claim 1 wherein said container includes means for identifying a calorimeter bomb placed therein. 
     
     
       5. The vessel as defined in claim 4 wherein each bomb employed in connection with said vessel includes a code indicia and wherein said identifying means comprises a reader mounted to said container for reading the information contained by said indicia. 
     
     
       6. A calorimeter vessel for receiving a sample holding calorimeter bomb comprising: base means defining a support for a calorimeter bomb including means for supplying water therethrough;   a container having sidewalls and being substantially enclosed at one end and open at an opposite end, said open end of said container sealably engagable with said base means with said sidewalls circumscribing said water supply means wherein said container is generally vertically oriented and defines a concavely opening chamber extending downwardly;   means for moving said container with respect to said base means for opening and closing said vessel defined thereby; and   water level detection means associated with said container at first and second levels, and control means coupled to said water supply means and to said detection means for supplying water initially to said first level at a first rate and subsequently to said second level at a second flow rate, wherein said water supply means includes aperture means extending through said base for providing a first flow path of water and conduit means coupled to said container at an end remote from said open end to provide a second lower flow rate of water to said vessel.   
     
     
       7. The vessel as defined in claim 6 and further including means for circulating water through said vessel comprising pump means coupled to remove water from one end of said vessel, and conduit means extending from said pump to an opposite end of said vessel for circulating water through said vessel during an analysis. 
     
     
       8. The vessel as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for moving said container with respect to said base comprises a pair of cylinder means extending between said base and said container for raising and lowering said container with respect to said base. 
     
     
       9. The vessel as defined in claim 8 and further including a moat formed downwardly in said base and circumscribing the periphery of said container. 
     
     
       10. The vessel as defined in claim 9 and further including drain means coupled to said base for draining water therefrom. 
     
     
       11. A calorimeter vessel for receiving a sample holding calorimeter bomb comprising: base means defining a support for a calorimeter bomb;   a downwardly opening concave container sealably engagable with said base means;   cylinder means extending between said base and said container for moving said container with respect to said base means for selectively opening and closing said vessel defined thereby and sealing said vessel when in a closed position; and   means for supplying water to said vessel to fill said vessel to a first level at a first flow rate and subsequently to a second level at a second rate slower than said first rate.   
     
     
       12. The vessel as defined in claim 11 and further including water level detection means associated with said container at first and second levels, and control means coupled to said water supplying means and to said detection means for supplying water initially to said first level at said first rate and subsequently to said second level at said second flow rate. 
     
     
       13. The vessel as defined in claim 12 wherein each bomb employed in connection with said vessel includes a code indicia and wherein said identifying means comprises a reader mounted to said container for reading the information on said indicia. 
     
     
       14. The vessel as defined in claim 11 wherein said container includes means for identifying a calorimeter bomb placed therein. 
     
     
       15. A calorimeter vessel for receiving a sample holding calorimeter bomb comprising: base means defining a support for a calorimeter bomb;   a downwardly opening concave container sealably engagable with said base means;   means for moving said container with respect to said base means for opening and closing said vessel defined thereby;   means for supplying water to said vessel to fill said vessel to a first level at a first flow rate and subsequently to a second level at a second rate slower than said first rate;   water level detection means associated with said container at first and second levels, and control means coupled to said water supplying means and to said detection means for supplying water initially to said first level at said first rate and subsequently to said second level at said second flow rate, wherein said water supply means includes aperture means extending through said base for providing a first flow path of water; and   conduit means coupled to said container at an end remote from said open end to provide a second lower flow rate of water to said vessel.   
     
     
       16. The vessel as defined in claim 15 wherein said means for moving said container with respect to said base means comprises a pair of cylinder means extending between said base and said container for raising and lowering said container with respect to said base. 
     
     
       17. The vessel as defined in claim 16 and further including means for circulating water through said vessel comprising pump means coupled to remove water from one end of said vessel, and conduit means extending from said pump to an opposite end of said vessel for circulating water through said vessel during an analysis. 
     
     
       18. A calorimeter control system comprising: temperature detecting means positioned within a calorimeter vessel, circuit means coupled to said temperature detecting means for sampling the temperature within the calorimeter vessel at periodic intervals and for storing data representing the detected temperature readings, said circuit means including a microprocessor programmed to correlate said temperature data with system parameters to predict the initial temperature prior to reaching a constant temperature slope to permit early firing of the calorimeter bomb and correlating said data including the end temperature for the determination of the heat content of a sample.   
     
     
       19. The system as defined in claim 18 wherein said circuit means includes a microprocessor. 
     
     
       20. The system as defined in claim 19 wherein said calorimeter vessel includes means for supplying water thereto at different rates and wherein said system further includes water level detecting means coupled to said microprocessor for controlling said water supplying means. 
     
     
       21. A calorimeter system comprising a plurality of calorimeter vessels each including base means for supporting a calorimeter bomb thereon and a container sealably mounted to the base and movable between open and closed positions for loading the bomb within the vessel so formed and for conducting an analysis respectively; a common supply of water and conduit means coupling said supply to each of said vessels, said conduit means including control valve means;   control means for actuating said control valve means for selectively filling and emptying each of said vessels with water;   water level detection means associated with each of said containers at first and second levels, wherein said control means is coupled to said detection means for actuating said control valves for supplying water initially to said first level at a first rate and subsequently to said second level at a second flow rate; and   means for circulating water through each of said vessels comprising pump means coupled to remove water from one end of said vessel, and conduit means extending from said pump to an opposite end of said vessel for circulating water through each of said vessels during an analysis.   
     
     
       22. The system as defined in claim 21 and further including means for moving said container with respect to said base comprising a pair of cylinder means extending between said base and said container for raising and lowering said container with respect to said base. 
     
     
       23. The system as defined in claim 22 wherein each of said containers includes means for identifying a calorimeter bomb placed therein. 
     
     
       24. The system as defined in claim 23 wherein each bomb employed in connection with said vessel includes a code indicia and wherein said identifying means comprises a reader mounted to said container for reading the information contained by said indicia. 
     
     
       25. The system as defined in claim 24 and further including a moat formed downwardly in said base and circumscribing the periphery of said container.